Epilogue: Taniyama Mai

A/N: Well, this is it: the final chapter of Dancing Queen. To be honest with you all, I felt like scrapping Dancing Queen and starting over again when I had all the kinks ironed out. But that never came to pass.

I am, however, overjoyed that many of you enjoyed Dancing Queen. Will there be another sequel? No, but Lin and Mai's story of being parents and being married will continue sporadically in my rewrite of 30Kisses. It's time I move on to other projects, both original fiction and fanfiction alike.

Thanks for reading.

Onward and upwards.

…

One week after Annabelle…

Mai lowered herself to the couch and smiled at Lin's nod of encouragement. She watched Lee lower his stiff form to the other couch, distrust a heavy thing on his face. He scowled at the camera and recorder before glaring at Naru.

"Are those necessary?" he asked, nodding to the devices.

"In case anything happens," Lin commented, "and, of course, for our records."

"Take a deep breath, both of you," Naru said, not giving Lee a chance to comment further. "Close your eyes."

Mai closed her eyes and simply listened.

"Close your eyes, Lieutenant Chamberlin," Naru commanded.

"This isn't going to work," the man warned.

"Then it doesn't work. But you'll never know until you try. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. In and out; in and out. Relax, nothing can hurt you."

Mai breathed as Naru told her waiting for his next set of instructions. She sensed rather than saw Lee do the same and she sensed his reluctance to do so. Mai could admit that she was nervous. She'd never actually walked in another person's dream before. She prayed to whatever god listening that she wouldn't harm Lieutenant Chamberlin and would be able to help him. She also prayed that her baby—no, their baby, hers and Lin's—was safe.

Lee lay there, skeptical; he breathed as Naru told him to, and listened to the instructions given. But he didn't believe this boy would be able to hypnotize him. But one thing that Madoka was sure of was this: Bethany Lynn was haunting him. That, he could readily agree with. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep since she died. It had only gotten worse since he came to Japan. Either he solved this now, here, or he became one of those officers that needed 'help' sleeping. He wasn't optimistic about the latter prospect.

"Clear your minds. Focus on my voice. Focus on my voice and nothing else. Stop thinking, Chamberlin-san," Naru scolded. "This won't work if you actively work against it."

Chagrined, Lee stopped thinking and just… listened, focusing on Naru's voice.

"I'm going to count to ten. When I reach 'ten' you'll both be asleep. One, two, three…"

Kid had a soothing voice, Lee thought, suddenly, as his body relaxed in time to the numbers being recited. "Five, six, seven…"

It was a nice try, he thought, sliding under the second he reached 'ten.'

Lin noted with satisfaction that they were both under. He nodded to Naru and Madoka and watched Oliver take a small handheld mirror out of his pocket.

"All right, Gene," Naru murmured to what appeared to be his reflection. "I'm counting on you, too."

A gentle smile and nod was all he got before the face that was truly his own stared back at him.

Mai looked around, flummoxed. Everything in Lee's mind was neatly shelved in compartments. Where was Bethany Lynn and her murder in this scarily uniform mind? She had no idea where to start. She wished Eugene were here. He'd at least be able to point her in the right direction instead of the aimless bumble that she was doing: looking from one compartment to the other. Was what she was looking for even here? This was Lee Chamberlin's mind; it had to be. Gene, she thought forlornly, I could really use your help right now.

And that was grossly unfair to Eugene. The point of his afterlife wasn't to come to Mai's rescue every time she didn't know what she was doing. But he'd be seriously useful right now, she thought morosely as she walked on, looking at compartments, before shaking her head and moving on. She knew, however, that one day he'd move on; she couldn't rely on Eugene forever. She nearly wept in relief when he showed up as if he'd heard her.

"Gene. I'm so glad you're here." Mai knew she was advertising her own incompetence, but what choice did she have? She still didn't know enough about her abilities. Next time they saw each other, she'd ask him to teach her.

He smiled, gentle and familiar. Grabbing her arms he hugged. "Mai-chan." He looked down at her still-flat stomach and his grin grew wider. "I'm happy for you, Mai-chan."

Tears ran down her cheeks and she wiped them away. "Thank you, Gene. Can you help me? I hate to continue to ask, but…"

A knowing glance told her he knew what she meant to say. Stepping back, he took her hand and gave a gentle tug. She wasn't totally sure where he'd dropped her, but she saw a girl glaring down at something. Mai approached and saw that something was someone: she was glaring at someone, that someone being Lieutenant Chamberlin. This had to be Bethany. She was pretty, Mai thought enviously. Well, in death she was pretty; Mai knew that before she died, she hadn't looked quite so pretty. Her strawberry blonde hair hung in sleek waves down her shoulders and back. She had to be around five-eight, five-nine with a generous bust, slender torso, curvy waist and mile long legs; she looked, in Mai's opinion, like a wet-dream fantasy. It was too bad for her that the object of her fantasy had only seen her as a kid, Mai thought sadly.

Bethany's glare deepened and a snarl lifted her lips. Mai guessed that Madoka was there, now. "I'll haunt her, too! Make her as sleepless as him!" she hissed.

"I wouldn't advise it," she said placidly, taking a seat. "Madoka's so much more than she seems."

Bethany sneered at her. "So what? I've got eternity."

"Is that what you want to do with your after-life?" Mai asked curiously, seeing the pulsing light that tried in vain to get the enraged girl to notice it.

Be careful of that light, Mai. It's not discerning, Gene's voice rang in her head.

Mai tilted her head to the side and nodded; she understood.

Bethany rounded on her. "What did you say?"

"Do you want to spend the rest of your after-life days here, glaring at Lieutenant Chamberlin?"

Bethany shrugged listlessly. "I was going to marry him, someday."

Not, Mai thought, though she nodded. "Maybe so, but again, maybe not," she said, not voicing her other thought.

"I loved him!"

Mai noted the past tense of the statement. Perhaps it meant nothing, but the brunette was inclined to think otherwise. "What did you want to do with your life?"

"I wanted to study Communications." Bethany sniffed. "I'd already taken most of my pre-req classes during high school so I could start on my degree right when I started college—but those damned shoes!"

Mai nodded. "I know; I was possessed by Annabelle, too."

"But you managed to survive. I didn't." Bethany's voice was bitter and caustic.

"I'm sorry for that."

"What made you so special?"

"I was the right victim," Mai told her honestly.

The blonde stared at her. "You're weird. I bet you had imaginary friends like me, too. What're you doing here, anyhow?"

"I'm just here to talk."

"To me."

Bethany's tone was skeptical and Mai couldn't blame her, but she nodded anyhow. She gestured to Lee's image in the water. "Would it make you happy to drive him insane?"

"I don't know," she confessed, her tone still bitter. "I can hear that light beckoning to me, but I just can't let go yet. There's so much I wanted to say. So much I wanted to accomplish that I can't."

Ah. It wasn't that she hadn't noticed—she was tied to the love that she left behind. Mai bit her lip and tried to figure out what to say. "You know, I firmly believe in reincarnation."

"So what? I have to wait for that."

"Maybe not as long as you believe."

Bethany snorted. "Whatever, weirdo."

"You were never going to marry him in this life," Mai said gently. "Whether he'd met Madoka, or not, you still wouldn't have married him. He wouldn't have allowed that anymore than your family would have."

Bethany began to cry. "I know," she hiccuped. "I know that. I've always known that. It didn't stop me from hoping."

"There's nothing wrong with hope," Mai told her firmly.

Bethany licked her lips. "Reincarnation, huh? You mean Lee and I could have a second chance?"

"In another lifetime, perhaps you'll meet as kids and grow up to marry as adults."

"That sounds nice," she said wistfully.

"It won't begin if you stay here," Mai said gently.

"No, it won't."

She smiled at the other woman and nodded at the man who's sleep had suddenly become peaceful. "Why not give him a final goodbye kiss?"

Bethany smiled radiantly.

…

Georgia, Laurel Grove Cemetery…

Fatigue threatened to drag him under and he shook his head, trying to clear it. He knew that the only thing that would work would be sleep, but that was a precious commodity of late. When shaking his head didn't work, he pressed his fingers to his eyes and rubbed gently, hoping it would help. He achieved a brief respite. He'd been state-side for two days and he was still fighting the after effects of jet lag. His pretty new wife had fared much better than him, he thought enviously. Then again, she was used to travelling, as one of the liaison's for the BSPR; it was a position that took her everywhere and would continue to do so, married or not—Lee understood and accepted her resolve regarding her job; she wasn't going to quit her job with the BSPR any more than he was going to quit being a Lieutenant with the Atlanta PD.

Earlier this morning, when sleep had eluded him again, he told Madoka of his plans to visit Bethany Lynn. She'd smiled sadly, but nodded understandingly: it wasn't just Bethany that needed to make peace, he did too. Maybe he was a coward for waiting this long, but as he'd told his wife, he didn't think that Bethany would have listened before now. Now was a good time because she was gone, according to Mai. Skeptical the core, he'd listened to Mai when she'd affirmed that Bethany had moved on… because he'd heard her say goodbye. She'd spoken to him, her voice sad and full of longing for things that couldn't be in this life. Maybe another lifetime. What Lee did know was that he'd never forget that last kiss—even if it was from a dream. Pressing his lips together, he placed a colorful bouquet comprised mainly of spider lilies on her grave and knelt down. Parents, he thought sadly, should never have to visit their children in a place that holds the dead. Unfortunately, he knew all to well that many children were buried- never to gain adulthood. "Hello, Bethany Lynn."

His voice echoed quietly in the stillness of the historic burial grounds. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come visit you, but… I don't think you would have listened to me had I come any earlier. You were too angry to listen. But Ms. Mai says you've moved on and you're at peace. That… does my heart good, because if you just hang around me, you can't do amazing things. Now you can. I wasn't able to save you that day—and… I'll always regret it." He glanced around, making absolutely sure he was alone before he said the other piece of what he had to say. "It couldn't have been—you and me. You know that, more, I think you understand that. Your father bloodied my nose when you gave me your first kiss; I didn't appreciate that laughter, Bethany Lynn." He licked his lips. "Maybe in the next life, if the timing's right, maybe then. Let's aim for that Bethany: that future filled with bright possibilities. In the meantime, don't wait for me. Be happy and healthy. Be the star I know you are."

The clamoring of his cellphone broke the hypnotic mood and the feeling that she was listening. Grumbling, he pulled it out, he glanced at the screen and cursed.

"Chamberlin," he barked, moving away from the grave with fresh flowers fluttering gently in the breeze. "Good God Almighty," he snapped. "I haven't been back for a week and that rat bastard is still giving me problems. Where?" He paused, keys in hand. "Are you sure? That area's—yes. Yes, of course. I'm on my way."

…

The scene in front of Lee Chamberlin was grotesque and stank of death and loose bowels. Running his tongue along his teeth he studied the scene with equal parts of righteousness and dispassionate disdain. It was the look on McLaughlin's face that made him happy: unadulterated terror, he kept his happy jig in his mind as he surveyed everything: the homicide investigator in him took the scene in with cool, flat, emotionless eyes that rarely missed anything. The last thing Lee expected to see was one Samuel McLaughlin, dead, wearing a pair of dancing shoes that had been part of his museum collection for the longest time and far too small for the man's feet. On the heels of that thought was what goes around, comes around.

He didn't know if Annabelle had personally taken revenge, or if someone had done Annabelle and all her victims a favor. In the end, it didn't really matter. Dead, as they said, was dead and he couldn't find any evidence of foul play, at least, not the human kind. Lee had already decided that he wasn't going to look too much into this death. He didn't care who said what from which office: Samuel McLaughlin was dead, and it was high time. He was only sorry that Annabelle (or whomever) had gotten to him before the law could. Still… he looked around at the pauper's flat and most likely flea-infested furniture.

How the mighty have fallen, he thought, looking back at the dead man. He'd always suspected that Samuel McLaughlin had money in accounts that were less than kosher. He'd never been able to prove it or get the warrants to look, but with the man himself being deceased, a forensic accountant should be able to find what he'd tucked away. And when they did, they'd give it to the families of the deceased victims. As far as Lee was concerned, this case had been closed before he'd been notified of it. Turning to his detectives, he said, "I have no clue why we were rousted from bed. I don't see a homicide here."

Wade Terrance smiled fiercely. "That's what I told them. Glad you agree, Lieutenant. Why don't you go home to that pretty new wife of yours and let her whisper sweet nothings in your ear?"

Lee rolled his eyes, the wedding band on his finger a new weight he was still adjusting to. "You're just jealous your wife doesn't have an exotic accent."

Wade laughed. "Only just a bit."

"Let's go home, Sargent. Our beds are calling."

"Beds, wives, or both?"

"Always have to have the last word, don't you, Terrance? Go home," Lee called, heading to his car. If Terrance had the last word after that, Lee didn't hear it.

…

New York, St. Vincent's Hospital

Danny walked slowly down the hall towards his wife's room. He was grateful for the early thanksgiving dinner his family had smuggled into the hospital; he and Linda had laughed about drinking excellent wine from small, Styrofoam cups, but despite the merriment, the worry was there: if that bullet remained where it was, how could she travel with them to Japan? And they had to go, with or without her. They couldn't get a refund on the tickets, either. Linda had suggested that Danny take Jackie with him and that was his last resort. He sighed. He hoped that the surgeons they had meetings with had a plan. The staff had talked of bringing in a surgeon but he had no information on how that was faring. Danny stepped into his wife's room and stopped cold, his hand automatically flying to his gun when he saw the strange doctor removing the syringe from the IV line in his wife.

"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice edgy. She'd been shot by some punk kid in this hospital; if that gang thought to try again, they'd have the wrath of Danny Reagan to deal with.

"Shh," the doctor admonished, disposing of the syringe and gloves. Going over to the computer, he punched something in before turning to Danny. "Hydromorphone," he said.

Danny nodded. "Dilaudid. Yeah, they've been giving her that because Percocet makes her sick; she won't take it at all—and it doesn't help," he added with an affectionate smile.

The doctor nodded. "I did read that in her chart. You worked Narcotics," he guessed.

"Once upon a time ago. Can I help you with something, doctor?"

He picked up the X-Rays and pulled them from their protective envelope. "I wanted to review her X-Rays, so I told the nurse I'd give Reagan-san her pain medication."

-san. He'd heard the people in Mai's group call him that. "I didn't catch your name, doctor."

"Noboyuki Ootori," the man said, putting the X-Ray's up on the screen and examining them. "Pleased to meet you."

Danny frowned. "I've heard that name before." Crinkling his brow, he tried to place the name with the tall, slim man wearing dark blue scrubs and crocs, studying where the bullet was in his wife's back. Suddenly he had it. "You're that world famous surgeon." One that we can't possibly afford, Danny thought, wondering how much overtime he'd have to work to pay this surgery off. Oh, well, he thought, looking at his wife. If a world famous surgeon got her mobile again, he didn't care.

The man smiled over at him placidly with none of the arrogance Danny expected. "So they tell me."

"What are you doing here at St. Vincent's?"

Noboyuki pointed to the bullet lodged in Linda's side. "Devising a way to get that out of your wife. If it stays, it will eventually work its way into her spine and paralyze her. I'm sure you've already been told that. I'm sure you've also been told that it'd be bad if that happened." Taking down the images, he replaced them. "Come talk with me," he told Danny.

With one last lingering look at his wife who rested peacefully, he followed the surgeon who navigated the halls of St. Vincent's like he'd been staff there forever. Then again, Danny supposed that hospital layouts didn't change overly much.

In the cafeteria, Noboyuki pointed to a relatively secluded table and left to get something for both of them. With no other choice, Danny sat down and waited. Presently, the doctor returned with two steaming cups, one he placed in front of Danny and one he placed in front of his himself. "I have it on good authority that cops live on coffee."

Danny smiled. "You're right on that." He took a sip and choked. "Bad as cop coffee," he remarked.

"That's why I choose tea; it's also healthier."

Danny took another cautious sip and made a face. "The cops in Tokyo said much the same."

Noboyuki smiled. When his brother had phoned and asked him to take the surgery as a special favor to him, he'd been afraid of what he'd find. Rarely did Kyouya ask for favors and because of that, he'd taken the surgery case and headed to New York to work on a nurse who'd been shot unwittingly and hadn't known about it until the patient they'd been trying to resuscitate had been pronounced gone. That was when the trauma doctor on duty had noticed something wrong with Linda Reagan's side. It wouldn't be any easy surgery, but difficult surgeries were what he excelled best at.

"Let's start again, shall we? I'm Doctor Noboyuki Ootori. I'm pleased to meet you."

"Danny Reagan, likewise," Danny responded, taking the man's proffered hand and giving it a perfunctory shake. "How'd you hear about this?"

"I was actually in Connecticut for a meeting when I heard about it on the news. I called the hospital and asked if it would be all right for me to take a look. I didn't have to convince them very hard."

"I'll bet. So… what's your opinion, doctor?"

"It won't be easy. But I'm confident that I can get the bullet out with minimal damage to your wife and I'm confident she'll be mobile again soon. She's young and healthy—with proper care, I see no reason why she wouldn't be mobile again in time for your trip to Japan."

"How'd you know about that?"

Noboyuki gestured around. Danny understood. Bunch of magpie's, he knew. Still…

"That the only reason you knew?"

Noboyuki smiled. "Interesting. In the spirit of full disclosure, my brother also heard and asked me to see if I couldn't be of help."

"Why would he do that?"

Noboyuki shrugged. "You'll have to ask him, I'm afraid. I don't answer for Kyouya."

Kyouya. Another name he'd been hearing recently. "Your brother bankrupted your father, you know. Left him destitute according to the news people."

"Ah. The news," Noboyuki said, his tone distasteful. "As of late, they've returned to their roots as muckrakers—sensationalism, sensationalism, sensationalism. Our father is hardly destitute, detective, and he's been morally bankrupt for so many years that I doubt he knows any better. Nevertheless, for whatever reason, Kyouya asked that I take this surgery and as a favor to him and I've agreed to help. What's important here is that we get your wife mobile in time for that plane ride. I've taken the liberty of asking Takashi Morinozuka to do her physical therapy."

Takashi Morinozuka. Physical therapist extroidinare is what the physical therapy world called him. There wasn't a client yet that he'd failed. And he was beyond Danny's and Linda's insurance combined. "That guy works with high-priced athletes, in addition to training military people. There's no way he'd do it for a nurse or for someone who can't pay top dollar. We can't even afford you, doctor," Danny said bluntly.

Noboyuki waved that away. "And yet, Takashi Morinozuka has already agreed to do this and is on his way. As for payment, we'll settle that when you all return from Japan, all right? First thing's first: getting that bullet out of your wife so she can go to Japan."

…

"Danny! I'm okay! Geez!" Linda exclaimed.

"Well, you just had surgery and physical therapy and—"

"And you're both acting like children," Frank observed as Linda slowly climbed the narrow stairwell to the office above the café; she had a death grip on the banister and used it to help her healing body up the steps. The doctors hadn't wanted her to go, but Noboyuki Ootori personally vetted her and said he'd travel with them to make sure she was all right. He watched her with a hawk's gaze as she climbed. Danny also knew that even though this was supposedly a vacation, Takashi Morinozuka would meet them in Japan for more physical therapy. More than anything, they wanted to know why they were receiving so much for what felt like frivolous caprice.

Danny waited patiently for her to reach the top before bounding up after her. "Here we go," he said, reaching towards the knob. "We're about to meet the girl who lived."

"Dad," Jack groaned. "You sound like a dork who's read Harry Potter one too many times."

"I second that," Linda commented, bending and kissing her son on the crown of his head.

Ignoring his wife, Danny pushed the door open and stepped into what he didn't expect to see: an office. There was nothing that screamed paranormal. Nothing at all. Was he in the right building?

"Welcome!"

The group stared at Yasuhara nonplussed who had seemingly materialized from nowhere.

"You're here to see Mai-chan, right?" the younger man asked, smiling.

"Dad's been calling her 'the-girl-who-lived," Sean said, making a face. "Kinda like Harry Potter was 'the-boy-who-lived.'

Yasuhara laughed and ruffled the younger boy's hair. "An apt name for her, certainly. Especially because of that case."

"McLaughlin is dead," Frank said in a low voice.

"We know," Yasuhara commented, not the least bit surprised.

"Did Lieutenant Chamberlin tell you?" Frank asked, surprised.

Yasuhara hesitated for the briefest of moments. "If you wish," he answered nonchalantly. Danny's eyes narrowed at the comment. Chamberlin had to have been their source of information concerning McLaughlin; he couldn't think of anyone else… oh, actually he could. "Come on in," the bespectacled man said. "We don't bite. Besides, you all won't be able to meet Mai-san if you loiter here." Turning, he led the way into the common room where Mai glared at her husband, arms crossed. It would have been more impressive if she wasn't sporting a massive belly.

"I'm not an invalid, you know."

"Believe me, I know and understand that," Lin replied, unperturbed by his wife's glare from the couch. He slid his hands into his trouser pockets and stared back evenly. "You are, however, almost seven months pregnant and the doctors including Matsuzaki-sensei, said you should take it easy."

"It was just filing," she groused.

"Just filing with you climbing up and down on a step ladder. Repeatedly," he said after a pause.

The others in the office studiously ignored the couple and Naru felt a headache beginning and kept his eyes ruthlessly on the files in front of him. If this was what he had to look forward to with Chiaki and their children, he'd rather adopt the older kids and skip the drama. He knew better than to say anything, however.

"I feel like I'm going to be fired for sitting and doing nothing!" Mai cried.

"If Naru does," Lin said, his gaze resolutely trained on his wife, "I'll tell his parents and the rest of the BSPR."

Mai burst out laughing. "You wouldn't," she dared.

He stepped over to his wife and settled beside her. "Oh, rest assured I would."

Naru felt a vein begin to throb. First drama, now the parent card! It really was too bad he couldn't fire Lin. He looked up at Yasuhara leading the Reagan's into the office. Finally! Something to distract him from marital discord that belonged in the home that Lin and Mai had—not his office. "Ootori-san, your brother and his guests are here," he commented, his voice dismissive.

"Naru!" Chiaki scolded. "Welcome, everyone. Please don't mind my husband. Come in and find a seat… wherever," she said, waving at the mostly occupied furniture. One glare from Naru had the irregular loiterers scrambling away.

Without another word, Noboyuki looked pointedly at Linda and Danny—the latter led his wife over to a couch that had suddenly been vacated by a glare from their host. Linda sank down gratefully and smiled at her husband, who kissed the top of her head. He turned to Mai but saw his kids had beat him there.

"Dad's been calling you the-girl-who-lived," Sean said, wrinkling his nose.

Mai burst out laughing. "A bit dramatic, I'll grant you, but it's true. I survived a homicidal ghost." Mai paused. "Again," she added.

"Again?" Danny asked, holding out his hand for her.

Mai climbed to her feet without her husband's help and grasped his outstretched hand, shaking it perfunctorily. "Occupational hazard," she told him. "Ghost hunting can be a risky business."

Danny laughed. So could being a cop. He knew that from first hand experience and had no reason to not believe Mai. "I'll take your word for it. You met my father and niece via skype," the detective said. "Meet the rest of my family."

Noboyuki Ootori pulled his brother to the side while introductions were going on. "You arrived a bit too late for her, I'm afraid."

Kyouya smiled ruefully, knowing that his second oldest brother had seen right through him. "I did. Taniyama-san was already involved with Lin-san when I met her and is quite happily married to a man who's as rich as we are—not that that had anything to do with why she married him. They… genuinely love each other. It's funny, until Haruhi came along I never imagined that there were people out there who didn't care about money or status."

"You've learned quite a lot from your friends. You asked Morinozuka-san's wife to relay your request to him, yes?"

"Actually, no," Kyouya responded. "Haruhi wasn't even aware I'd asked until Mori-sempai told her of his plans, I assume. I asked Mori-sempai himself. He owed me a few favors."

Noboyuki snorted. "I know what flavor your favors usually take," he replied with a smirk.

Kyouya held out his hand to his brother. "Thank you," he said seriously. "For performing that surgery."

Returning the shake, Noboyuki nodded. "You're welcome. I was looking for a challenge—you certainly gave me one."

"I'm glad. Oh, and before you say anything more about how in-love with Taniyama-san I am, you should know that I'm seeing someone."

Noboyuki looked at his brother skeptically. "Are you now?" It was formality, really. He knew that his youngest brother had been dating the medium Masako Hara for a little over six months. From what he could see, it seemed to be serious. He didn't know how those two disparate people had gotten together, but they seemed to have genuine feelings for each other—enough to keep away from the media, especially.

"You might even watch her show."

Noboyuki rolled his eyes. "You forget little brother, I've kept tabs on you, too. I'm happy for you. But I have to ask: is she the real deal?"

Kyouya looked at his brother with unexpected seriousness in his eyes. "They all are at this place. It's… eerie how easily Shibuya-san finds talent. Almost like a flame that draws moths."

Noboyuki whistled softly. "I never took you for a poet."

"Tell anyone that and they'll never find your body," he said with a gleam in his eyes. Smirking, he went back to the people he worked with.

Noboyuki watched his brother rejoin the group thoughtfully. Two years ago, hell a year ago, he'd have never imagined that his youngest brother would do the following things: take a job he didn't need and take over all of their father's enterprises by hostile takeover. He shook his head, still bemused at the turn of events for his brother. He'd assumed his brother would be status-quo and had been absolutely astonished to learn that Kyouya had been stealthily buying all the stock from their father's companies since high school. He'd been even more surprised when the younger man had begun to work with a psychic research group of all places while attending college. He also never expected said brother to ask him to perform a surgery like he'd performed. If, however, there was one thing the medical world had taught him it was that everything was deceiving.

Checking his watch, he did a mental calculation and went over to his charge. "Reagan-san," he said apologetically, "you should probably take your pain medication now."

Linda nodded and made get up, when Yasuhara suddenly appeared with a tray of steaming tea and tall glass of ice water which he handed to Linda.

"You're a bit scary," Danny said, watching his wife slip a pill into her mouth and take a liberal swallow of water.

Yasuhara laughed. "I've been told that so many times."

"I think we tell him that on a daily basis," Mai said, accepting one of the cups of tea and taking a sip. "His case was truly terrifying."

Danny tilted his head to the side. "You had a problem that required their help?" he asked, motioning to Naru and the others.

"My high school did—although Kasai-san and Yuko-chan weren't part of the team, yet."

Jamie's eyes took on an interested gleam. "You can't leave it at that," he said.

"I suppose I can't. Hmm… my former high school, Ryokuryou… well, a student introduced a 'game' to us—he called it Orikiri-sama, said that it would bring good fortune or some other such stuff."

"And you kids played it?" Danny asked skeptically.

"Well, of course," Yasuhara said with a shrug. "We were in high school after all. We lived for the newest, latest, greatest, and best, of all the fads. It hasn't changed overly much since I graduated, either, I'm sure."

"Probably you should have known better," Frank said.

"Probably so," Yasuhara agreed.

"While ignorance is no excuse, they had no real idea what they were doing. It's the same as kids in America playing 'Bloody Mary,'" Naru said, looking up from his reading.

Nikki shivered. "That doesn't actually work, does it? It's just like Ouija Boards—they're fake."

"If those are fake then how do you explain the high percentage of kids that become possessed after playing with them?" Naru asked, his blue eyes piercing, his intellect clear.

Nikki stared at him.

"Ouija Boards, like Kokkuri-san are viable ways of summoning things," the man who'd introduced himself as Takigawa said. "The…" he paused, as if trying to work out how to say something, "…trick isn't summoning something, but sending whatever you've summoned back. That's the hard part and anyone who isn't trained is going to experience a hell of a lot of bad shi—stuff," he corrected noticing the maniac gleam in his wife's eyes, "—stuff because they had no idea what they were doing."

Frank turned back to Yasuhara. "Is that what the student in question was doing?"

Yasuhara gave him an enigmatic smile. "Not really, but at the time, we didn't know that."

"Well did you ask him?" Danny asked.

The bespectacled youth shook his head and spread his hands. "We couldn't."

"Why not?" Erin asked.

"Sakauchi Tomoaki-san committed suicide shortly after introducing Orikiri-sama to the student body."

"Convenient," Danny muttered.

"Not at all," Mai said, rubbing her belly. "It was rather insidious of him, really."

"Why's that? Didn't he just introduce a game that had a bunch of students get possessed?" Danny asked.

Lin snorted. "If only it had been that simple."

Frank shook his head, bewildered. He'd been a detective for years before he'd moved up the ranks all the way to the Police Commissioner. He'd seen some pretty strange things in his days working the streets. But he had a feeling that everything he'd seen and encountered was nothing compared to what this small company had seen and dealt with.

"Then what?" Jamie asked.

Yasuhara looked at Lin and Naru. Naru, in turn, looked at Lin and nodded deferentially in his direction: a way of saying that he would likely explain it best.

Lin clasped his hands together and looked at Nikki. "Tell me, Nikki-san, have you ever played 'Bloody Mary'?"

Nikki bit pressed her lips together and looked around furtively. "Maybe," she hedged. "Back in… early high school. What?" she asked when her family stared at her, astonished.

"Did anything happen?" the Chinese man asked.

Nikki wrinkled her nose at him. "Nope. It was just dark… and stupid."

"It usually is. Most of the time, summoning's like that don't work at all. It's a psychological trick—until it does work. But that's another story. Tell me about the preparation for 'Bloody Mary.'"

"Umm… it has to be in a bathroom. The lights have to be completely off. Splash water on the mirror directly in front of you and chant 'Bloody Mary' three times." Nikki shrugged. "She's supposed to appear in the mirror after that."

"But you and the girls you were with went through the steps, yes? A dark bathroom. Door closed and probably locked. Water on the mirror. The chant calling for the specter of Bloody Mary."

"So what?"

"The makings of spell," Lin told her. "Summoning is just another form of magic; another sort of spell, after all. Spells have steps involved, just like 'Bloody Mary.' Orikiri-sama had steps, like Kokkuri-san does. The students would create the paper exactly as Sakauchi-san showed them and would invoke spirits with a chant."

"A chant?" Danny asked.

"On orikiritei meireitei meiwaya shimarei so waka," he intoned softly.

An ominous silence descended the common room; Frank could have sworn that he saw a shiver run through Mai, Yasuhara, and Masako—bad memories, he decided. Jamie cleared his throat and said, "And that… would summon spirits," his tone was vaguely skeptical.

"Exceptionally well," Lin replied. "Yasuhara-san's school was built atop the remains of a Nara-Era cemetery." Noticing the bewildered looks on the faces of most of their guests he clarified, "it was created between the years of 710-794 CE. In addition to that, there was a shrine to O-Inari-san- a fox deity on grounds where the students would bury the used papers."

Frank experienced a chill, though why he couldn't say. In this land of ancient history and lore, it seemed that something sinister had happened. "I can't explain why, but I don't have a good feeling about this story."

Lin nodded approvingly. Whether the man sat behind a desk or not, his instincts remained sharp. "You shouldn't." Taking his wife's hand, he tangled their fingers together, an act so normal it was almost discomfiting for the Reagans to witness. Resting their joined hands on her belly, he said, "Yasuhara-san's school was spiritually shut off from the rest of the world. The summoned spirits couldn't escape, nor could the students send them back." Lin tilted his head to the side and said softly, "What do you suppose the trapped spirits began to do?"

"Fight," Linda said just as softly.

He gave her a fleeting smile—a mere twitch of his lips. "Correct. And devour the weaker ones."

The chill was collective this time. It was hazy, but they could sort of see where this story was going and what would happen upon its completion. "What happened when they got to one spirit?" Frank asked roughly, trying to rationalize this story into something that fit his parameters and failing.

"We'll never know the answer to that question because it never came to pass. But I can tell you what was supposed to happen."

"What?" Jack asked, thinking that this man told creepier stories than the teachers at Halloween. He would later reflect that the true terror of this narrative was that it was absolutely true.

Lin looked at him thoughtfully before continuing, "A certain teacher in that school was supposed to die."

"A certain teacher—why?" Erin asked appalled.

"High school in Japan is different from America," Mai said stirring. She shifted, almost like she was restless. "You have to pay for high school, no matter where you go—some students that have good reasons are exempt from fees, but the majority of students are not; we test to get into the best schools in our region because that's our ticket to passing the exam to get into a university. High school prepares us for that, yes, but it also ruled our lives. High school dictates how long our hair can be; what colors it can and can't be; how much make up we can or can't wear; the length of our pants and skirts; it dictates whether or not we can have a job after school; what clubs are acceptable; what after school things are acceptable; careers, you name it, high school has a say in it here in Japan."

"Ryokuryo was stricter than most schools," Yasuhara said, smoothly picking up her narrative. "Sakauchi-san… he was not well accepted amongst the staff. One teacher in particular hated him. Matsuyama Hideharu-san. Well, he didn't like anyone, but he hated Sakauchi in particular partly, I think, because he dared to be different. When Sakauchi died, he left a note behind."

"What did it say?" Erin asked.

"Boku wa inu de wa nai—I'm not a dog," he translated hastily, recalling that the Reagan's didn't speak Japanese. "That was what Matsuyama made the students feel like. The irony is that anyone of the students would say that about him—but Lin-san discovered the murder hex and put the pieces together. It turns out that we the students did everything from making the charm to casting the spell and then completing it by burying it underneath a shrine."

"For dementia, the crossroads; for murder under the shrine," Lin said, repeating the words he'd told everyone else a few years ago. "The remaining spirit was supposed to consume Hideharu Matasuyama-san upon its completion. I told you all that it was a curse to commit murder. Sakauchi chose to invoke a very rare type of curse called a kodoku. Problem with that type of curse is it won't stop with just one person. Either it's taken care of it—giving it a live sacrifice every so often, or its transferred it to another to take care of—and the process begins all over again."

"In the end, what did you do?" Jamie asked in the chilled hush that descended upon the visitors.

Lin looked down at his hands as if he didn't like what he saw. He still thought that at least the curse should have gotten Matsuyama instead of the man walking away scot-free; logically, he knew that thought was wrong: had the curse gotten Matsuyama, then he wouldn't have been able to return it at all and the school would have had to make a choice: care for it, or transfer it to another for care. However, he also couldn't help but think that it should have been allowed to at least kill Matsuyama—the man had been a parasite to the school and its students; Matsuyama had also upset Mai on separate occasions that he'd found unacceptable; he also knew, even if she didn't, that the curse had almost gotten her and Masako when they'd shared a vision. Everything that Sakauchi and the other students including the SPR workers had endured because of Matsuyama had been the driving reason why Lin had asked Naru that even though he had the ability to return the curse, should he before it got its intended target. The irony of being human, he thought. He hated thinking about that case, hated remembering the awful, tempting potential it brought out in him. As if she understood where his thoughts were, Mai brought their joined hands to her lips and kissed his knuckle softly, breaking him out of his morbid reverie.

"In the end, we decided to return the curse to the original casters."

Frank blinked a few times. "Correct me if I'm wrong," he said slowly, thinking out what he'd been told, "but wouldn't that have been the students?"

Lin nodded slowly. "Yes. We returned the curse to them. Matsuyama survived—he lost his job and was never able to find a teaching position again, but we returned the curse—no, I returned it to them, against my better judgment."

It took a long time for the silence to become breakable, but finally Danny asked, "Why?"

"Because the death planned for that teacher was cruel, even for him," Naru said, giving Lin a pointed look.

Lin shook his head. "I disagreed then and I would still disagree. The irony of being human. In the end, what's done is done. In hindsight, Naru is likely right: that's a very cruel and painful death."

"That's debatable," Yasuhara muttered, taking a seat on the floor and leaning against his girlfriend.

Mai shook her head. "Sakauchi-san wouldn't have been able to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He was devoured, too," Mai added, aiming an understanding smile at her co-worker and then her husband.

Nikki stared. "Wait… you're saying that the curse he implemented got him?"

Mai nodded at her. "Isn't that inevitable? He was also a spirit."

"You're telling me he had no protection against his own curse?" Nikki persisted.

"What protection?" Naru asked her, his tone faintly mocking. "Sakauchi-san died so that the curse couldn't rebound to him should anyone figure it out, but he created a kodoku spell that used spirits. He was a spirit when we arrived—why wouldn't he be susceptible to the very curse he himself put in place?"

Nikki realized she had no good answer for that.

"Well, all's well that ends well, they say," Yasuhara said. "Anyhow that was my tale. Shortly after that, Shibuya-san called me and asked me to pose as him while S.P.R. investigated a haunted villa in the Suwa Mountains."

"Did you?" Jamie asked.

"I owed him for helping my school," Yasuhara said simply. "After that, I began working for them on a full-time basis. It beats being a waiter at a hotel by far."

There seemed to be nothing more to say beyond that and an awkward silence descended in the room.

"So… what are you having?" Linda asked, nodding to Mai's growing belly.

"We don't know," she replied.

"You want to be surprised?" Erin asked.

"No. We've tried to find out, but the baby just won't cooperate," Mai said sourly.

"Is it just in a position where a sonogram can't figure it out?" Linda commented. "That's not uncommon."

"More like the baby just likes to foil technology," the mother-to-be replied, sending a black look her husband's way.

Lin shrugged and spread his hands as if to say, 'don't blame me. I didn't do it.'

"Baloney," Mai responded. "This child isn't even born yet and it's already so much like you."

"Somebody's in a mood."

Mai turned to the new voice and a bright smile lit her face. Lin breathed a sigh of relief under his breath. Really, if he'd known Mai would be even more temperamental than normally, he'd have suggested they vacation for the duration of the pregnancy. Still… he rose to his feet and approached the couple they'd helped earlier on.

"Chisato Takamoto-san, Alejandro Takamoto-san, welcome back to Shibuya Psychic Research. What brings you two this way?"

The couple looked at each other and then at their guests, clients, they assumed. "We came to discuss the matter of payment—we're sorry it took so long, but it looks like you're busy with clients?"

"They're not clients," Lin said. "They're here visiting Mai."

"I see," Chisato said, looking at Mai. A large smile crossed her face. "You survived." Her smile grew wider. "I'm so glad you survived."

Mai smiled again. "I like to think that I was the right victim this time. How have things been for you all?"

"Wonderful," Alejandro told them. "My mother—isn't haunting us anymore. She hasn't been seen or heard from since that night that… well, I'm sure you guys remember."

"And your step-mother?" Yuko asked hesitantly.

"She's… still with us...unfortunately," Chisato replied with a black look, telling all that things weren't as rosy as Alejandro stated.

"You know, at first it was a blessing, but now I think we're almost at the point of simply packing her on a plane and just sending her back to Tucson. I'm sorry, we're being rude: I'm Alejandro Takamoto and this is my wife, Chisato."

"How do you all do? Frank Reagan. My father Henry, sons Danny and Jamie, my daughter Erin, my daughter-in-law Linda, and my grandchildren, Nikki, Jack, and Sean."

"Oh my, it seems we do have more guests, Yasuhara-san."

All eyes turned to see Sebastian holding a tray with two extra cups of steaming tea.

"Ah, yes, thank you Sebastian-san for making more tea."

"Not at all," the demon said, smiling and tucking the tray under his arm.

"How many people do you have working for you, Mr. Shibuya?" Frank asked.

"Six regular workers and four people I call routinely for consultations," he answered.

"So what does he do?" Nikki asked, motioning to Sebastian.

He smiled indulgently at her. "Free, manual labor—is that what they say?" He looked at Mai reprovingly. "You should have left the filing to me, Mai-sama."

"Sometimes, Sebastian-san, I like to feel useful," Mai responded, smiling sweetly. Her eyes, however told a different story.

"You are. Your psychic abilities are quite helpful."

"Around the office!" she hissed.

"This is a pointless argument," the demon said dismissively. "Lin-sama will not allow you to do anything that could potentially harm you or your child. Accept it."

Mai threw her arms up and settled her glare on Sebastian.

Lin rolled his eyes at the drama, but Chisato just looked at Lin thoughtfully. "Is he why Ginger didn't like you?" she asked in Japanese.

Lin looked over at the crow demon and nodded. "This one is newly acquired, but yes, he's part of the reason most animals don't like me."

"I see. I wondered. You never struck me as a horrible man, but why would animals not like you? Then I remembered the stories my grandfather would tell me." She smiled. "It makes sense now."

"I'm glad," he said and was somewhat surprised to realize that he meant that. "Why don't we step into my office for a moment and you two can tell me what you have in mind."

Approaching his wife, he kissed the crown of her head and whispered something in her ear. She nodded. "Just don't take too long. We have guests after all."

"I understand. Please excuse me for a moment." It didn't take long. A few minutes later, Lin was bidding the couple good day and a thank you before they nodded their farewells and left.

"Can you tell us about that case?" Jack asked, looking up at Mai. "And the Annabelle thing they mentioned?"

Mai smiled and began to talk. Over the next couple of hours, the Reagan family heard some of the creepiest cases that the team worked on.

…

Danny paused, the chopsticks half-way to his mouth and stared at the Mai. "A spell?" he asked incredulously. "You're saying a spell brought you and your husband together? And not only a spell, but a bad one?"

"Hmm, that about sums it up," Mai said, chewing slowly. They'd taken the Reagan family to a well-known restaurant off the beaten path for tourists for some dinner. The group was already exhausted and they had a forty-five minute drive to Kyouya's house where they'd be staying for the duration of their two weeks here—sight seeing in other places not included. But that was for tomorrow when their vacation truly started. To be truthful, Mai was glad that Kyouya had taken the planning and details of the Reagan-family vacation out of her hands.

"It didn't work—not the way the casters expected it to."

"But still…"

Mai simply smiled and took another bite of her food.

Frank looked at Lin and contemplated asking. In the end, he decided not to ask. Their host was in a good mood, who knew what he'd turn into if he weren't? Either way, it wasn't his business, but he rather thought that Shibuya-san wouldn't employ Lin-san if he did things that most would consider unethical. Better to just let it go.

"Are you hoping for a boy or girl?" Frank asked instead.

Lin seemed to contemplate the question for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "I don't really care. What I really want is a healthy baby that grows into a wonderful adult. I don't care if it's a girl or a boy. But since you've got both… why don't you enlighten me as to which is more difficult to raise?"

Frank shook his head, a small smirk on his face. "Nice try. To be honest with you, boy or girl—it doesn't matter, both come with their own sets of complications."

Lin chuckled. "You can't blame me for trying. I don't know what sex the baby will be. Mai says that even she can't get the baby to divulge that information, so I guess he or she will be a surprise."

Frank figured he'd misheard. "Your wife…"

"…Is talking to the baby already? Yes, despite the fact that it doesn't have any verbal words of its own yet," Lin said finishing the thought for Frank.

Frank stared at him, floored. It wasn't possible—or, more like, it shouldn't be possible. But what did he know? If these people had taught him anything it was that there were stranger things that existed. His mind raced to replace what he was thinking before he said it. When he finally could speak, he said, "That's not normal."

"Normal," Lin repeated before he shrugged. "I don't really know what normal is. I did the same thing when I was in the womb; to me, it's not abnormal that a child of mine, ours," he said, motioning to Mai and then himself, "would be in contact with its mother while still in the womb. All my siblings talked to our mother while she was pregnant with us; I was the only one however, that wouldn't say whether I was a boy or a girl." His lip curled into an amused smile. "Certainly, they could have found out with science, but they chose to be surprised. I'll just carry on that tradition."

Frank shook his head. "Your world is very different from mine."

Lin shook his head. "Our worlds aren't different. We live in the same world that turns on the same axis and travels around the same sun. What makes us different is our experiences."

Frank thought about that and realized that the man across from him was right. Experiences made a person what they were and his had undoubtedly been different from the man across from him.

"Dare I ask what you all have in store for us for the duration of our vacation?"

"Hmm… you'd have to ask Ootori-san, I'm afraid. He hijacked the arrangements Mai had been making and redid them, so whatever's planned, it's on him. I know Takigawa-san wants you to see his home, Mt. Koya. I know Matsuzaki-san, Takigawa's wife, wants to take the ladies shopping in Ginza and Shinjuku."

Frank groaned at the mention.

"I also heard Takarada-san say something about a premiere for a movie that recently just finished filming, but again, I don't know if that will include you all, or not. Like I said, ask Ootori Kyouya-san."

"How did he come to work for you all, anyways?"

"He was chosen to work on a project with Mai in a class they attended at University. Curiosity got the better of him and he followed us to Hanamaki where we were investigating a case. Naru decided to put him to work. After all, he was there. He just…stayed on, after that."

Frank shook his head. Different experiences indeed. "How did you get involved in… paranormal investigations?"

"I've always been involved with the paranormal world, ever since my birth. But enough about me, how are you enjoying Japan thus far?"

"It's not what I expected, but in some ways, it's everything I've expected."

"A good answer. I'm not Japanese by birth. I was born in Hong Kong. I sincerely used to hate the Japanese people for what they did to China during World War II."

"Well that's stupid," Jamie said, joining the conversation. "Hating a group of people who, for the most part, couldn't stop what was happening."

The whole table fell silent. Lin chuckled and looked over at his wife, who smirked back at him.

"I told him roughly the same thing, Reagan-san. So did Eugene," Mai murmured.

"Did you?"

"I did. I didn't like being hated just because I was Japanese. And I made sure he knew that."

"What brought you to start working with S.P.R.?" Frank asked.

"I injured my husband."

Again the table fell silent and Mai shrugged self-consciously, thinking that maybe she shouldn't have mentioned that. "The principal of my high school was convinced that the old building that used to house our classes was haunted because every time the school tried to tear the building down, there were accidents preventing it from happening. I saw a camera inside and went in. Lin called out to me and I knocked a shoe shelf over—he pushed me out of the way, but was injured in the process." She tossed a glare at Naru. "Naru, however, told me that because I'd injured his assistant who would have to spend a couple of days in the hospital, I had to take his place and somehow pay for the camera I broke in the process. So I did. He kept me on after that by offering me a job."

"Wasn't your camera insured?" Erin asked, looking at Naru. She could see why Nikki found him attractive.

"Of course it was," Mai answered for him. "But I felt so wretched over what had happened to Lin that it never crossed my mind. You can all say it: I was a sucker."

"You really were," Linda commented.

"But I gained a job because of that day. And a husband and a baby on the way. So it wasn't all bad."

"What were you going to do if you hadn't landed a job with S.P.R.?" Danny asked.

Mai fell silent for a few moments. "To be honest, I don't know. As you know, I'm an orphan and until my job with S.P.R. came along, I lived on scholarships. College wasn't something I thought about. After graduating high school I was thinking of just finding a job somewhere and eking out a living of some sort."

Danny looked at Naru. "Why did you hire her?"

"Because she's useful," the other man replied, not wanting to go into his own life story. There was a limit to what he would share with near strangers.

Not honest at all, Lin thought, shaking his head. Though… he couldn't blame the younger man for not divulging his secret. It wasn't their business.

…

The rest of their time passed in what felt like a blur. Linda was thoroughly disgruntled with all the steps that she'd had to traipse up just to visit Takigawa's home and she nearly scalped the man when she saw the cable car going back and forth. The ladies did enjoy their shopping in Ginza and Shinjuku.

Takarada Lory, president and owner of LME Studios, invited the Reagan's to an early viewing of his newest film with the bloopers included and threw a lavish cocktail party after where they mingled and hob-knobbed with stars—some they'd heard of, some not. Linda smiled watching Danny lug to sleepy boys out to the car to leave at two in the morning. Ootori Kyouya, who'd hijacked the planning of the time in Japan, showed them some of the best sights in Japan and even included a stay at the hot springs in Sapporo.

He'd also introduced the Reagan family and the S.P.R. group to his closest friends that he'd known since grade school. What the family hated about vacations was that they had to end. Their bills certainly didn't get paid if they didn't work. Frank looked up at the private plane that would take them back to America. He turned back to Lin.

"Do you know when the baby's due?" he asked.

"Technically, he or she should be here late December early January, but Mai thinks the baby will come sometime in December." Lin shrugged as if to say, 'I'm not going to argue with my wife.'

Frank smiled. "Maybe we should stay for moral support."

"That's completely up to you. I don't think Ootori-san would mind—and Morinozuka-san is already here. But can you spare the time?"

"No," Frank said. He held out his hand. "I can't. But… you're welcome to call us when the baby is born and we'll make another trip out to see you all."

Lin grasped the outstretched hand and shook it. "Or we'll come to you in America. Either way, have a safe trip back to the States."

"Thank you." Frank turned and began to board the small plane that would take them back to the States.

"Reagan-san?" Lin called.

Frank turned and waited.

"Just so you know, I don't worship dark gods."

Frank's mouth dropped open. How the hell had he known?

Mai shook her head. "Ignore him, Reagan-san." She contemplated him for a moment. Her eyes went from clear to translucent and glassy. "Your wife and son…they're gone and they're at peace, Reagan-san, but their love for you still lingers." Her eyes returned to normal and she smiled at him. "I hope that brings you a modicum of peace."

Frank watched her stunned. How had she known about his wife and son? Slowly he shook his head. There were some things he just didn't want to know. "Thank you," he said hoarsely. "You take care of yourself, Ms. Taniyama."

"That's Lin, and I will. Have a safe trip back."

…

"Welcome back, sir. How was your trip to Japan?"

Frank had to think for a moment before saying, "Best vacation ever. Meeting Mai was truly a treat."

"I'm glad to hear it, sir," Baker said, laying down some documents. Back to work, business as usual, Frank thought, pulling his glasses out. "On your schedule today is a meeting with the Mayor and the Fire Marshall. You'll be meeting them for lunch at noon. At three, you have a meeting with—"

"Baker," Frank said, interrupting her without looking up.

"Sir?"

"Clear my schedule. I just returned two days ago. Give me some time to come up to speed with everything that's happened in my city while I was away."

Baker hesitated clearly at odds with what he wanted and what the city requested of him. "Yes, sir."

"Thank you."

When she was out of the office, he took the photos he'd snuck in and started to go through them until he found the one he was looking for: a picture of Mai and himself at Takigawa's home in Mt. Koya. The young lady was so vibrant and alive that he was sure that it would lift his spirits every time he looked at it. Because she'd survived. She'd survived a ghost that had been killing for almost two centuries. He stared down at the photograph, recalling all the photos he'd seen from the eight that had died in his home state alone. Having Mai as a survivor seemed to tilt the scales in the direction of justice. It didn't hurt that Samuel McLaughlin was dead, either—and that Annabelle was free. No more girls would die because of her. If that wasn't good news, he didn't know what was.

Taking a breath, Frank carefully pulled a frame from his briefcase out and slid the phot into its holder; that done, he put it on his shelf with the other pictures he considered important. He smiled at the picture. He'd frame the others later. Putting them back in their developed envelope, he locked them in his briefcase. With a sigh, he sat down at his desk again and started to go through the files Baker had placed on his desk. Back to work; crime wasn't going to solve itself.

~~Owari